Fred Luter – Gathered at the Throne: Racial Reconciliation in the Kingdom of Christ

When you are born again, your life must change. “The old is gone. All things become new.”

God did not give his son to die on the cross so that we could remain the same, but so that we could be changed. We don’t go the places, do the things, or think the same ways. Your AD should be different than your BC. That is why the church has so little impact – Christians exhibit so little change.

Our nation is at a moral low – so many issues. Right in the middle of all this decline and chaos is your church and mine. The problem is not that sinners sin – that’s what they do. The problem is that the church is not being the church. We are not making the impact. We should be lights in the darkness, salt in a low-sodium society. The church should be making a difference, particularly in the area of racial reconciliation. That is what God intended at Pentecost and that’s how it will be in heaven.

Revelation 4 and 5, John sees a vision of the throne. He sees a revelation of future events.

We are not making the impact we could be making because racism is still alive and well in the church. (I note that the only people saying that racism is dead in the church today are white people!) People in the church are supposed to be saved by God’s grace and believe that “red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight.” No matter how you look or how you dress, you are welcome in this church. Whatever your preference in music style, you are welcome in this church. The only color that matters in the church is the blood of Christ. That blood will never lose its power.

How can we say we love God and yet hate our brothers?

God gives John not only a vision of heaven, but a firsthand view of how the church will look when the church is gathered around God’s throne – every nation, tribe and tongue. What is the difference between your church and the people in Revelation 5? How can THEY pull off in heaven what we cannot here on earth? In heaven, there are only authentic Christians who have a genuine relationship with Christ, not just those who are church members. (Yep)

Matthew 7:22. People heavily involved in the kingdom, yet Jesus says, “I never knew you.” We’ve confused church membership with being a Christian. There are a lot of church members and leaders (even perhaps preachers?) who have never really been born again. Revelation 4 and 5 represents only those who are truly redeemed. No false believers. those who have been redeemed. Revelation 5:9. Redeemed by the blood of Christ.

Also, they have a relationship. Rev. 5:10. Kings and priest to “our God.” Some things will be different n your life because of your love relationship with Jesus Christ. Don’t tell me you are saved and don’t like someone because of the color of their skin. That’s not how a redeemed person with a relationship with the Savior acts.

They have been reconciled. Once you’ve been reconciled, you don’t have a problem with reconciliation. What we pray for here will one day be a reality in heaven. (Ultimately, the dream that MLK saw will only be fully fulfilled through Christ in glory – but we should still seek to build it here!).

When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! Every tribe, every nation. We will sing and shout the victory!

Until then, we must work to make the church on earth look like what the church in heaven will be like.